Travel support for MCQMC July 2008, Montreal, Canada

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project funds the travel expenses of US based researchers to the eighth International conference on Monte Carlo and quasi-Monte Carlo methods, to be held in Montreal Canada in July 2008. The meeting will consider advance methods for psuedo-random number generation, construction of low discrepancy point sets, complexity of algorithms.There will be tutorial sessions on the role of quasi-Monte Carlo sampling in statistics, finance, and computer graphics. The talks will cover these topics and others in the physical sciences. The Monte Carlo (MC) method is a computer based simulation using random number generators. The name was given by atomic researchers in the 1940s who likened their simulation methods to keeping score in a casino in order to learn some odds. Monte Carlo methods are used in every branch of science and engineering because they allow brute force computer power to be used on problems that are too complicated to solve mathematically. Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) methods replace simulated random numbers by strategically chosen ones. By leaving less to chance, large improvements in accuracy are possible. MC and QMC methods are widely applied in computer graphics to make animated movies and other images, in computational finance to control risks, in statistical inference to separate real findings from chance fluctuations, and in many other areas. Much of the top QMC work is done in Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia. This conference will bring together leading researchers from around the world to share results. This project will support travel expenses of US based researchers to participate in this exchange of knowledge. Two of the researchers are US experts giving major talks. The majority of the funds is reserved for young US researchers in the mathematical sciences, including PhD students, postdocs, and junior professors.